Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has issued clarifications regarding the payment, offsetting, and seizure protection of agricultural subsidies, emphasizing that the transfer of responsibilities from the former OPEKEPE to AADE has changed neither the protection framework nor the payment process for farmers.
What AADE is clarifying
The full statement from AADE reads as follows: “The Independent Authority for Public Revenue provides the following clarifications regarding the payment, offsetting, and seizure exemption of agricultural subsidies: The wording of section ‘Z. DECLARATIONS AND ASSUMPTION OF OBLIGATIONS’ in the 2026 Unified Aid Application (EAE) is not new. It has been consistently included since 2015 and concerns the application of the relevant institutional framework under which certain individual support schemes were paid. In fact, until 2025, the declaration stated that the producer acknowledges that deductions may be made prior to the payment of subsidies.
This declaration has been correctly reformulated in the 2026 EAE to reflect that subsidies are paid in full to the declared IBAN of the beneficiaries, and that any statutory deductions in favor of the State or insurance bodies follow the credit transfer, applied only to amounts exceeding the protected threshold, in accordance with applicable legislation.
It is hereby clarified that, for as long as the funds remain with the Payment Agency and have not yet been disbursed, they are protected from seizure and cannot be offset against debts owed to the State, the public sector, or insurance organizations. Once the funds are credited to the beneficiary’s IBAN, the Payment Agency’s responsibility is fulfilled. From that point forward, the Agency bears no responsibility and has no authority to prevent, suspend, or lift any seizure — whether initiated by public bodies or private parties.
All of the above is provided for under the relevant legislation. Their inclusion in the EAE is purely for informational purposes and does not constitute the producer’s consent to deductions or offsetting, as has been incorrectly suggested.
It is categorically emphasized that the transfer of responsibilities from the former OPEKEPE to AADE has not altered either the protection framework or the payment process for agricultural subsidies. AADE strictly applies both European and national legislation governing the payment of agricultural subsidies, as well as the national legislative framework for the collection of public revenues — with the aim of protecting the public interest and ensuring immediate, timely, and fair support for genuine agricultural producers.”
